Prices began to be duplicated in bitcoin from time to time, and the government launched a virtual wallet, Chivo, which allowed for commission-free transactions. In January, Bukele reported that 60% of the four million population had used the mobile app, and more residents had Chivo than regular bank accounts.

However, a report by the US Bureau of Economic Research shows that of those who installed the app, 80% stopped using it as soon as they spent the $30 bonus. And most of those who continue to use Chivo pay with dollars. At the same time, less than 65% of the country is covered by mobile internet.

One of the hopes pinned on bitcoin was to save hundreds of millions of dollars in money transfer fees. The money sent home by migrant workers accounts for more than 20% of El Salvador's GDP. For some households, this is the main source of income. Conventional services charge a 10% commission, and people are sometimes forced to wait for days to make a transfer.

However, as a result, only 1.6% of these transfers are made through digital wallets. A Deutsche Bank study found that people prefer to exchange bitcoins for dollars, which is not so easy to do. They often turn to unofficial money changers who set their own fees.